Washington, DC – A year after United States President Donald Trump deployed the National Guard to Washington, DC, opinions are mixed among residents, politicians and experts about the mission’s success. “The best thing a National Guard member can be, in terms of a crime deterrent, is a sentinel.” Currently, 4,636 soldiers are deployed to the DC mission, including nearly 700 from the DC National Guard and thousands from various other state guards, according to a Joint Task Force-DC spokesperson. The National Guard has also faced multiple lawsuits since the deployment began last August. In July, the Pentagon announced plans to keep the Guard in DC through the end of Trump’s term.